These roofers are going to give me a heart attack. I am appalled, especially since the owner of this house's son fell 30 feet onto his head in a construction accident about ten years ago and suffered permanent brain damage. In her place I would have insisted on proper safety measures.

It is a lovely morning. I finished an onerous task and now can devote myself to catching up with things around here and thinking and planning for the next month or so. This time of day, when the sun is low in the sky, is best for capturing my orchids in bloom.

This dendrobrium orchid, while not all that striking "in person," photographs beautifully. I've had it for 15 years. The woman who gave it to me would be surprised to learn that it still blooms from time to time.

(Click for enlargements.)

The warm morning light makes this orchid look especially attractive.

This orchid had not bloomed for a couple of years, but it responded to folar feeding. It is growing right out of the pot. I spray the orchids once a week with a very weak fertilizer solution. Today's the day!

Notice that the foliage is light green. This means the orchid is getting enough light.

June 26, 2013

Or do we really approve of the notion of American exceptionalism and the security state? I'm almost finished with the painful task of reading Jeremy Scahill's book, Dirty Wars. I can only read a few pages at a time, which is why it's taken me so long to get through it. I'm still thinking about the way we were informed about the Osama Bin Laden operation with White House approved "leaks" that all turned out to be lies. I am thankful that persistent journalists have uncovered the truth, that he was unarmed, shot in the face, hauled off and stuffed into a body bag after DNA samples were taken, and so on. He did not use women as human shields, for instance. He could have been captured alive and put on trial for his crimes. This would have been a fitting way for a democracy to deal with crimes perpetrated against its citizens.

I really think what's going on now is shameful.

More: But even as I read this I realize I have bought into the idea that we have the right to pursue perceived enemies into other sovereign countries. How would we like agents from other countries coming into the U.S. and doing this? And if I am blind to the injustice, what do other people accept or even approve of?

Surpisingly for a person with progressive tendencies, I have had problems with the gay marriage thing. Gay marriage means gay divorce!

Scalia exploded in rage about what he considers to be the sin of sodomy. And let's face it: many people find sodomy distasteful. I'm not too crazy about the idea of it myself. But it's a misinterpretation, I think, to believe that overturning "Defense of Marriage" is about sodomy. I'm seeing a lot of comments on Twitter from gay activists about the far-reaching consequences of this news and how it will change their lives. And I think it's very good that Nancy Pelosi responded to Michelle Bachman's provocations on the subject by saying, "Who cares?" Anyone like me, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area considers matters of gayness to be pretty mundane, since the gay kids I knew all came out in their teens and nobody cared. And that was in the 50's! SF was a gay mecca and perhaps the only place in the country where gays did not have to live underground.

I think a very good thing that may happen is that gays and Lesbians will stop marrying straight people, using them for cover, and wrecking their lives. I've seen too much of that. Closeted gays are a menace to themselves and others. They get a lot of sympathy, but there is little sympathy for spouses who marry them and don't know what's gone wrong.

Well, it's very good news.

And what about that dust-up in Texas? Whew. Exhausting. I was talking to a friend yesterday about our experiences during our reproductive years. Even if you're lucky, as we were, it's a perilous time. We need Roe v. Wade. We need clinics and easily obtainable health services for ourselves and our children. Women of childbearing age need the reassurance that they can get contraceptives easily and abortions when contraceptives fail, which is what I hear is the commonest reason for abortions. Seems simple, but not if you believe god wants women to suffer and that a cluster of cells is a human being. Luckily Plan B is readily available.

I wish we could just drop the outrage about these matters and act like civilized adults. We can't afford the hoo-ha. Our social problems have gotten way out of hand while the three-ring circus goes on. We are at war everywhere in the world. It's ridiculous.

June 25, 2013

This is how citizens lose their rights, step by step. As the majority of the Supremes understand all too well, the most important right of a free citizen is the right to vote. Restrict or remove that right and we are left with an oligarchy over which we have no control.

The South is still fighting the Civil War; thoroughout the country many whites are as prejudiced as they ever were. The increased population pressure and growing minority population are frightening people who are not equipped with the education or breadth of outlook to live in a crowded, competitive, multicultural, multiethnic society. Conservative leaders know this and are manipulating white fear and resentment in order to hold on to their power.

Getting women and gays under control is another big issue. Let's see what the Supremes do there.

Procrastination is the thief of time, and I have been procrastinating a lot lately. But today things must be done and will be done!

This weekend the weather was like heaven. We went to two birthday parties, one for old people in their 70's and the other for a three year old. Although turning 74 at the end of the month myself, I was not among the honored. Next year will be our 50th anniversary and my 75th birthday, so we will do something special then.

Our gang. All in our 60's and 70's, at Cousin's place. We've had a lot of adventures over the years.

This is Cousin's fountain at twilight.

And here is a panorama of the birthday party for the three year old next door.

That is such a nifty pool. We're borrowing it to use when our grandkids come.

A few months ago we had our breadfruit tree drastically trimmed. We weren't sure it would survive. But it immediately started putting out new leaves.

Look at it now! It even has breadfruit forming on it again. It's growing in compact and bushy.

In a few months we will cut the lower and upper branches that have grown in odd directions and we will have a beautiful tree.